Creep-Formed Metal-Thermoplastic Shell Assembly for Aircraft Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of multiply curved shell components for aircraft and spacecraft is complex and time-consuming, requiring separate forming and attachment of skin and stiffening elements, leading to high handling effort and lengthy manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A semi-finished product is created using a thermoplastic material layer between structural components, which are then creep-formed together using a mold with a target geometry, allowing for simultaneous forming and bonding without separate operations, reducing the number of process steps and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If skin elements and stiffening elements are formed and attached in separate operations, then each component can be manufactured with high precision, but the manufacturing process becomes very time-consuming and expensive with high handling effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the forming and attachment of skin elements and stiffening elements into a single integrated operation. The arrangement is creep-formed as a unified structure, eliminating the need for separate forming and attachment steps, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing time and handling effort while maintaining precision through the integrated process design
Solution Approach 2:
The skin elements and stiffening elements are pre-positioned in their final arrangement before creep forming. This preliminary positioning allows both components to be formed and attached simultaneously in one operation, avoiding subsequent handling and attachment steps, thus improving productivity without sacrificing manufacturing precision
2Ease of manufacture
If skin elements and stiffening elements are formed separately, then each component can be optimized independently, but considerable effort is required to ensure precise joining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the forming and joining operations into a single integrated creep forming process. The skin elements and stiffening elements are formed and attached simultaneously, eliminating the separate joining step and its associated precision challenges, while still allowing independent design optimization before assembly
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple process steps are used for forming and attaching components, then each step can be optimized for its specific function, but the overall manufacturing process becomes lengthy and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple process steps (forming of skin elements, forming of stiffening elements, and attachment operations) into a single creep forming operation. This integration maintains the functional optimization benefits while dramatically reducing the overall process duration by eliminating intermediate steps and handling operations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly reduces production time and effort by integrating forming and bonding into a single step, achieving precise, multiply curved structural components with improved mechanical properties.
Implementation Method 1
the thermoplastic polymer material at least partially melts during creep forming in order to join the first component and the second component
Implementation Method 2
the assembly is creep-formed at a temperature selected such that the thermoplastic polymer material at least partially melts during creep forming
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The invention creates a semi-finished product (7) for the production of a structural component (6) by creep forming of the semi-finished product (7), in particular for the aerospace industry, with at least two layers (21, 22; 36) of a material that can be deformed by creep forming, between which a layer (28; 37) of a thermoplastic synthetic material (13) is arranged, the layers (21, 22; 36) being formed at least partially from a metal. The invention also provides a method for producing a structural component (6), the method involving creep forming of a semi-finished product (7) or stack (20) with at least two layers (21, 22; 36) of a material that can be shaped by creep forming, between which a layer (28; 37) of a thermoplastic material (13), wherein the layers (21, 22; 36) are formed at least partially from a metal. In addition, the invention relates to a structural component and an aircraft or spacecraft. The invention also provides a method for producing a semi-finished product (7) for manufacturing a structural component (6) by creep forming of the semi-finished product (7).